The Week I Didn’t Run, Eat Healthy, Blog, or Even Study Very Much

People have commented and complimented me for keeping up with my running plan and eating well during nursing school. I feel very proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. However, if you ask me how I do it…run, study, eat, study, study, study…the truth is, I don’t.

An entire week without running is not something I have experienced since my marathon last August. Instead of finding me on the treadmill or hitting the pavement, last week you would have found me cuddled up on the couch with two blankets, little Tia on the lap, a kleenex stuffed up my nose, and a coffee cup of TheraFlu steaming from the tv tray in front of me.

An entire week without running makes me nervous. What if my endurance is gone? If I’m going to stick to my plan I am going to run my first marathon of 2012 in approximately sixty days. That means I’m going to start seeing 14, 16, 20 mile long runs pretty soon. Um, what?!

I’m going to stick to my plan though. I know if I kick it back into gear again then I will be ready come sixty days from now. Eating healthy on the other hand…that one’s always a little tricky for me.

My plan was the make one healthy change to my diet each week. I totally rocked January adding lots of fruits and veggies, minimizing my soda pop and drinking lots of water. Then I amped up the coffee…then I ran out of fruit…then I ran out of time…then I forgot to make one healthy change…then I got sick (correlation here?!)…then I stopped trying.

So I need some help here. Oddly enough, one of the hardest things to do is just decide what my one healthy change will be. Does anyone have any suggestions other than servings of fruit and veggies? When it comes to what I’m eating I can use all the help I can get! I think for the remainder of this week I’m going to try to get back to where I was at the end of January, and for next week my goal is to simply plan ahead.

Last but not least, this poor little blog…has been…oh so…so neglected. Every now and then I check in just to make sure it hasn’t somehow vanished from the internet. The funny thing is that I actually have thought up quite a few of blog posts that I’d love to write…I just never get to it. What’s even crazier is that this month is National Eating Disorders Awareness Month…and I haven’t posted one time about it. Sad face. I still have a few days left, though, and National Eating Disorders Awareness week is coming right up, which is the anniversary of my discovery of the blog world…so you will hear from me again soon…I promise!

Until next time, keep on keeping on people!

ang

 

 

Woah January

Don’t worry people, somehow I’m still alive. Barely.

Even though somehow my stack of textbooks managed to double in size.

To be completely honest, school is ridiculously overwhelming. I thought the first week was crazy and hard…and since then, each week as gotten even more difficult. And I love it. Even though I’m lacking on sleep, quadrupled my coffee intake, and already studied more than I did in my first time through college combined, I love it.

And somehow January is ending and it’s time to start a new month. That means only three and a half more months until my first semester of nursing school is over.

With the month coming to an end, I wanted to quickly (very quickly since I have a test in fifteen minutes!) go over how great January actually was, even though I’ve been running around like a crazy lady for the past couple weeks.

Yes, I’ve actually made a better eating goal each week. I shared my first, second, and third weekly goals on here (eat breakfast everyday, eat at least three servings of fruit a day, and eat at least three servings of vegetables a day), but I didn’t share my last two. Last week my goal was to incorporate protein in breakfast. Thank you greek yogurt…goal achieved. This week’s goal is to drink the recommended eight cups of water a day. This goal, oddly enough, is a little harder to obtain…especially since my recent want and need for coffee. I’m trying here though.

Another New Year’s goal of mine was to cook a new dinner once a month. Once a month may not seem like anything to most everyone else in the world, but for a non-cooker like me with hardly any time, once a month is lofty. I did cook enchiladas a couple weeks ago, and while they weren’t as tasty as when my madre makes them, they were still delicious. And I was pretty darn proud of myself.

Lastly, I want to touch on this little subject of marathon training.

I knew it’d be hard to find the time to run, but aside from studying and spending time with my family, running has been number three on my priority list (sorry blog…right now you’re near the bottom of this list!) So far I’ve been keeping up with the majority of my runs, and I’ve gotten in each and every long run.

In my pile of assignments and to-do lists sits my training plan, all written in pencil since I still change it daily. The month of January I was able to run 114 miles…total success.

Woah January.

ang

School Week Two, Marathon Training and Eating Healthy Week Three

One week of nursing school down, only fifteen more weeks this semester to go. It sure feels good to be starting week two!

Not only have I completed one week of school, I’m also on my third week of marathon training!

I still haven’t nailed down my training plan, but I’m loosely following one of the good ol’ Hal Higdon’s plans. When I say loosely I mean loosely. It hasn’t been the easiest thing trying to figure out when to fit in a good run in my newly acquired crazy schedule.

But again, I’m definitely up for the challenge. I’m going to have to get used to some pretty early morning wake up calls and long run dates with that wonderful treadmill…like the beautiful seven miles we spent together this morning.

I’m also into the third week of my making over my eating habits, and I think it’s definitely helping my overall stamina. I just feel healthier. This week my goal is to eat at least three servings of vegetables each day.

Vegetables are a little bit more difficult for me than fruit. I adore fruit, so three servings a day is simple. Vegetables, on the other hand, are something else completely. I’m going to have to branch out further than three servings of baby carrots or V8 Fusion a day.

Happy four day week everyone!

ang

Scary Days

Saturday I did something really scary, but I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.

Today was also a particularly scary day for me. It was my first day of nursing school!

It felt kind of strange. It’s something that I’ve hoped to do for so long and work so hard for. But for some reason it just felt like one of those days that I’d only dream about and never actually get to experience.

And today I experienced it. And it was scary.

However, I received the most awesome e-mail last night that made it not as scary. In my panic to prepare for the first day I was scouring the internet trying to figure out how to play a video on taking blood pressure. I took a breath for one second and decided to check my mail, only to be surprised with some words of encouragement from a reader and former nursing student all the way from Florida!

Heaven-sent.

At least through all the panicking, printing of syllabi, e-mail reading, and overall going nuts-ness, my eating habits have been yet again improved in accordance with my New Year’s resolution. Not only am I eating breakfast (even if this makes me have to wake up even earlier than I normally would before going to class), but I’m also eating at least three serving of fruit a day! Deliciousness.

A beautiful green apple makes the day a little less scary.

ang

Running is Hard, but Breakfast is Good

I only have a few days left to sleep in because nursing school starts on Monday. Of course I am beyond thrilled about this, however, a sense of fear and nervousness has started to creep in. What if it’s too hard? What if I won’t be able to work and keep up with school? What if I’m not a morning person anymore? How will I find time to study and to run? What if patients hate me? What if the other students don’t like me? And worst of all…

…what if I’m not good at it?!

So, instead of letting all those crazy feelings consume my every thought, I decided to live it up one more day and sleep in. Is it sad that sleeping in is “living it up” to me? Or acceptable? I’m not sure. After I had enough coziness it was time to start my day…which in accordance with my week one New Year’s goal meant eating breakfast.

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I’ve now started my day with breakfast three days in a row, and it has been magnificent! Before I wasn’t anti-breakfast. In fact, most days in 2011 I did eat breakfast…that is until December hit. Sleeping in and having no particular running goals left me with no motivation to go toast a bagel…or pour a bowl of cereal…or blend up a smoothie. Cookie parties also had a hand in eliminating my desire to eat breakfast. Wake up at eleven, eat a chocolate covered cherry cookie (hey, it has fruit in it), and call it a day…until noon, that is, when it was time for lunch.

But three days in a row with a healthy, well-rounded breakfast has got me feeling energized! Throw in some vitamins and a cup of coffee, and there’s no telling how much I can accomplish!

Yes, breakfast is good.

Next on my agenda of “living it up” until nursing school hits…go for a run. Now, I don’t know about you, but I can say for a fact that when I sleep in I have a much, much harder time convincing myself to lace up my shoes and get out the door.

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But after some moseying around, I finally threw my hair up into a ponytail and set out for a sunny eight mile run…my longest run in quite awhile. And it was hard. The hills. The blisters on my heel from my new shoes. The distance. The hills.

Running is hard.

Once my watch clicked to eight miles I walked back inside and realized that yes, running is hard, but it is so rewarding. I just ran eight miles. Eight. That’s really quite a lot. And actually, I felt even more energized than before I left!

I find it so true that taking the first step is really the hardest…but with a good breakfast, I guess anything is possible.

ang

 

Starting the Year Off Right…

…with breakfast, of course.

I’m in love with setting goals and then achieving them, duh, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and hearing about everyones’ wishes for two thousand and twelve. I just know this is going to be a ridiculously awesome year!

Each year I make a resolution to “eat healthier” and I can never follow through with it. I’ll start out doing well, and then I just quit. What does eating healthier mean for me anyway? Cutting sweets? Well, that’s not happening. Eating less noodles? Also not happening. Getting more protein? Well, yes…but how? Don’t even get me started about potato chips!

One of my “wishes” is to make one better eating decision each week. That means that I will be making fifty-two choices that will help me be a healthier person in the long run.

I would like to make it known that none of these changes will include cutting any food groups or restricting my diet in any way. Honestly, it will probably involve adding many, many more foods in certain food groups. Hello vegetables…we are about to become best buddies! I’m sure that this wish will entail a lot bravery as I will have to convince myself to try new foods, however, condiments will not be making the list. Absolutely. Not.

For this week my change was easy…it’s just another one of my two-thousand and twelve wishes. I’m going to eat breakfast every single day. No skipping. No sleeping in and then waiting for lunch to come around. It’s going to be breakfast, and it’s going to be delicious!

Which is why I’m glad these precious little grapefruits were on sale yesterday!

ang

I’ve Been Smiling A Lot

My goal for the month of December was to enjoy life and smile a lot. I must say, I do think I have been very successful achieving my goal thus far. Between laughing it up with my husband, spending time with my family, and catching up with friends, I could not have asked for a better month.

However, I have only logged a handful of miles in my old Asics, and I think they miss me. It always seems like such a great idea at night to wake up at the crack of dawn…or actually, before dawn…and get a good run in. When the morning rolls around the the idea sounds much less desirable. Much. Don’t get me wrong…I am missing hitting the pavement, too…but I’m definitely enjoying life a little bit longer in my warm bed!

And, I’ve been more than lacking in the food/cooking/eating well department. Between my peppermint bark rice crispie treats, and the cookie party I went to, I’ve eaten dessert for breakfast more times than not. I justified the rice crispie treats by reminding myself that rice crispies are cereal after all,  however it’s much harder to justify a sugar cookie.

But, sugar cookies and rice crispies make me happy, so I’m not going to worry about it! I call that a successful month!

I have big, big goals for two thousand and twelve, though, so prepare yourself. In the meantime, I’m going to live it up for the next eleven days and spend every happy moment I can before school, work, and running invade my life to the fullest. My 2012 wish list will be coming to the blog very soon, and expect to see a lot more about my running plans, my running goals, and eating and cooking well. You heard me right…cooking well. Oh, and running a sub-four hour marathon.

Oh wait, did I just say that?!

ang

I Ate a Mushroom, and I Liked It

I’m definitely not a food blogger, a food expert, a chef, or even a good cook. I’m sure my mom and my husband can both attest to this. In fact, I recall one evening when I first lived with my hubby when I had cooked up an experimental dinner. I think it was just chicken breast and a can of rotel in the crock pot…maybe some other ingredients, who knows. As we were setting up the tv trays to start eating, the hub’s tray just “happens” to fall over, spilling all his food onto the floor. (Yes honey, I do still believe that was intentional!)

Joke was on him, though…because I wasn’t looking forward to eating that dinner anymore than he was, so I just offered him my plate, and I went to find something else in the kitchen (probably cereal).

But, when I do create something spectacular to eat, I would love to share it with you!

The evening started with this:What better way to start a nice, hot summer evening out on our new deck!

Then this:…tomatoes

…onions

…green peppers

…mushrooms

…steak

…potatoes

Which turned into this:Oooh lah lah!Then it was time to eat!

Yummy!
Double yummy!

Okay, so I have to admit it…I can’t take all the credit for this meal. In fact, the hubs cut the steak, seasoned the steak, and then did all the grilling. My chef abilities didn’t go beyond cutting the vegetables. Oh well…still a success!!!It was the perfect way to celebrate moving to a new home and break in our new backyard!

ang

Sunshine and Mexican Food!

I finally feel like spring has sprung! Sunshine has that undeniable ability to put a smile on my face!Just look at these beautiful flowers! (I know these are actually weeds…but I like to pretend otherwise! I remember when I was a little girl I picked a bunch of these dandelions and put them in a cup with water on our kitchen table…then my mom asked me why I put weeds on the table…and I cried!)

I was able to run outside last Saturday, and now today, too! It feels so good to feel the warm sun on my skin. I just love being able to workout outside. I can’t wait until my hubby has more free time and then we will ride our bikes, play tennis, or go golfing. I love this kind of weather!!!

Tia even loves the sunshine, too!This weather makes me crave mexican food. Okay, okay…I’ll admit it…I crave mexican food all the time, not just on sunny days, but let’s just go with it

The hubby and I had mexican dinner on Saturday night, so since I finished all our salsa over the weekend, I decided to get creative (for me) and make some sort of burrito for lunch today. I decided to use soft shells, refried beans (which I just found out I love…crazy for me, I know!), shredded cheese, onion, jalapeno, pepper, and sea salt.It was delicious (a little messy though)!I love adding onion and/or jalapenos to everything right now. Yummy!

I would really like to be able to open our windows to let the beautiful weather inside…but we have a little problem…

Eek! Wasp! (Actually wasps…plural…the other ones were off hiding.) They are living between the screen and the glass…so if I opened my window they would come in and get me! I’m terrified of wasps…and bees, and anything with a stinger…I’ve never been stung in all twenty-five and a half years of my life…and I’m sure I’ll probably just die of I ever was stung. Help!

What do you love to eat and do on sunny days?

ang

Celebrating the Small Things

All in all, today ended up being a very good day.  I think I am liking blogging first thing in the morning because it sets up the rest of my day with positivity.  The day started out gloomy…and I was feeling kind of gloomy…but…

…I painted my nails sparkly pink!  So I am celebrating pink nails!

Today I went to workout, and my goal today was five miles under forty-six minutes.  Since it was gloomy I opted to run inside on the treadmill at my gym.  I am a sun snob.  It was still a nice temperature outside, but I prefer sunshine!  I achieved my goal and ran it in about forty-five and a half minutes.  Not bad.  I’d like to be faster, but I am having trouble with that.  Any advice??? Nevertheless, I’m celebrating a good run!

So, yesterday I was feeling brave and decided to attempt creating a Green Monster.  I should begin by saying that spinach has never touched my lips before…not in all twenty-five and a half years of my life.  I have no idea what made me decide to try (actually I do know…it was all YOU bloggers out there and your motivating healthiness!)

It actually turned out more of a “Brown Monster” because I mixed the frozen spinach with mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries) and some other ingredients.  I tasted it, and the spinach was more prominent than I expected, but it wasn’t so bad.  Afterwards, though, I was beginning to think that spinach (like beer) is an acquired taste.  And I am beginning to like the taste of beer, so maybe I’ll begin to start to like the taste of spinach!

But I was feeling brave AGAIN today, and I attempted a different version of my own Green Monster.

This one actually turned out green!  AND this one was very tasty…much, much, MUCH better than yesterdays!  It had spinach, banana, and peaches, and other smoothie ingredients So, I’m celebrating my bravery and a good green monster!

And then the sun decided to come out!  My gloomy day turned to a sunny day, and being the sun snob that I am, I decided to take little Tia for a walk so we could soak up some Vitamin D.

She was pooped afterward.  She decided to lay down on the hard kitchen floor instead of somewhere comfy. What a cutie.  We’re celebrating our little bit of sunshine today

What did you celebrate today?

ang